Trees & Planters

Planters

In early spring, volunteers and DSP staff take to the streets to turn downtown into an urban garden. Annually the DSP maintains over 100 downtown planters and added 128 hanging flowers baskets in 2014 for the beautification of the sidewalk environment.

Clean-up kicks off during Cleaning from the Core in April and plants are in place by Bloomsday and other Spring in Spokane events. The Clean Team and Downtown Ambassadors maintain and water the plants throughout the summer months. The DSP and BID are able to bring the plants to you thanks to revenue generated by parking meter money downtown.

If you would like to enjoy planters outside your downtown business, contact Downtown Spokane at 509.456.0580.

Trees

Large canopy street trees help reduce building cooling costs and extend the life of asphalt and pavement. | Street trees cool and shade downtown's sidewalks, encouraging shoppers to stay longer. | Large street trees create a strong "sense-of-place," soften the urban landscape, and are a competitive advantage for downtown. | Street trees positively influence the distance people are willing to travel to shop in downtown.

Tree Grates

Donning the custom design for Downtown Spokane, the first grate was installed at the Fernwell Building, on the corner of Stevens and Riverside, featuring the landmark Monroe Street Bridge and a sunburst -- both architectural elements originally designed by renowned local architect Kirtland Cutter.

Custom tree grates are not only an aesthetic improvement surrounding our downtown trees, but they also provide significantly more access to run-off water and air circulation than the concrete grates currently surrounding many downtown trees. Grates are manufactured locally by Hern Iron Works in Coeur d'Alene and can be customized with the building name and construction date at a unit cost, resulting in a more cost-effective grate than most off-the-shelf models.